Tuesday 17 January 2017

Underrated YA Books That You Need to Read

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.
I can't lie - I'm a sucker for mainstream reads. I don't trust myself to go into a book blind without at least one person telling me they liked it. But sometimes I do take that chance, and it turns out for the better. Here are 10 hidden gem books that although you may not have heard of, you NEED to read.




1. Micah Grey Trilogy by Laura Lam
This trilogy didn't get much hype when it was first published and the 3rd book was postponed... until now! I only just read the first book in this series but I thought it was incredible and most definitely a hidden gem. Plus the series is being republished with these gorgeous new covers in preparation for book 3!

2. Ultraviolet Duology by R.J. Anderson
Definitely one of my favourite duologies. I loved Ultraviolet so much that I devoured it in one day, and somehow I loved the sequel, Quicksilver, even more! These books are definitely not like anything you've ever read before, and they're cool in that they also work as standalones.

3. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
I expected so much hype for this book but it didn't get enough and that makes me sad. The blurb is basically Jane Eyre, but with more murder - and if that's not enough to make you pick it up I don't know what is. The parallels are brilliant, but this also works as a fab standalone if you've never read Jane Eyre.

4. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Super relatable and even more diverse, Oseman's second novel has a close place in my heart. It's about teens applying for university and the struggle of knowing what they want, and being Brit lit it was something I could really connect to.


5. Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Chiara at Books for a Delicate Eternity recommended this in a post about underrated LGBT+ reads and it sounded super cute and a definite must-read. I got myself a copy at YALC and finished it within a matter of days. Needless to say it was absolutely adorable.

6. Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
A contemporary that mastered multiple perspectives really well! Conceptually it was nothing revolutionary, but the writing and themes and characters were so excellent that I loved it anyway!

7. The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willaimson
Another super cute LGBT+ read. I'd seen this a few times in my local WHSmiths before caving in and picking it up. The writing style was really accessible and although I've never read any books with transgender characters before (nor am I qualified to say it was an accurate portrayal) I truly enjoyed it.


8. The Great Library Trilogy by Rachel Caine
I saw someone mention this alternate reality where the Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed on a tumblr post before the book even had a goodreads description, let alone a cover - but I knew with a premise like that I had to read it. And trust me, it delivered.

9. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
An unusal read but quite brilliant. My friend recommended it to me and even let me borrow her book, and I fell in love. It was a complicated read, but an excellent Sci-Fi.

10. Midnighters Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
This is the one book/series on this list that I struggle to remember much about. I read it when I was about 14 and I was so addicted and mildly terrified that I lost quite a bit of sleep over it! I haven't read any of Westerfeld's other works but I can confirm that these books are highly underrated.

What books have you loved that you thing deserved more promo? Are there any hidden gems you feel like nobody has read?

20 comments:

  1. I need to check out the Micah Gray series. Those look good! I've been hearing really great things about Radio Silence as well. It sounds like something I would like. I want to read Ink and Bone!
    My Top Ten

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    1. I've only read book 1 but it looks like it's going to be a really great series! It reminds me of The Night Circus but less magic realism and more character focus.

      Radio Silence is also wonderful! I don't know why I expected some YA romance from it because the reality is it's not like that at all but super friendship and growing up focused which makes me really happy because romance isn't the centre of every teen's life.

      Also I love love love Ink and Bone, it might be one of my favourite series of all time. I'm just so in love with the concept and the world and the characters (except the main two who are a bit dull). I highly recommend it!

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  2. Liking the sound of Jane Steele and Radio silence - adding those to the wishlist right now! Otherwise I haven't read any of these books. For me though, my favourite book last year was The Otherlife by Julia Gray. Norse Gods, mixed with exams and a normal life. Just brilliant!

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    1. Yay definitely add them to your wishlist they are awesome! Jane Steele is super badass but in a non-pretentious way which I loved, and was so like Jane Eyre but so not at the same time. And Radio Silence is possibly my favourite contemporary because for once it's not one that's romance focused!

      I've never heard of The Otherlife but you had me at Norse Gods. I'll definitely be checking it out :D

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  3. I've not heard of the Scott Westerfeld trilogy. I'm going to have to check into that one. I pretty much want to read your entire list! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Midnighters is a really great series and worth checking out! I hear a fair bit about Westerfeld's other books but never once have I come across someone mentioning this one in the bookish community which is a shame. If you choose to read it I hope you like it!

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  4. I have a copy of Seven Ways We Lie that I haven't read yet, and I'm kicking myself for it--especially with Riley Redgate's Noteworthy being one of my most anticipated 2017 releases. I'm happy to see you loved it. I definitely need to get on that. Also, I remember reading the first Midnighters book back in high school and loving it (I was OBSESSED with Scott Westerfeld) but I never got around to read the rest of the trilogy. Maybe one day. Anyway, fantastic list!

    My TTT!

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    1. Seven Ways We Lie is such a great read - especially with how Riley Redgate uses the seven deadly sins as a focal theme which I thought was really interesting! I need to see if I can get my hands on Noteworthy because it sounds great too. Ahh finally someone who read the Midnighters (even though it was just the first one)! I haven't actually read anything else by Scott Westerfeld which is definitely something I need to fix, but I'm sad Midnighters doesn't get more attention because it was such a good trilogy. Thanks! :D

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  5. These are all new books to me and many of them look good to me!!

    Here's my TTT post for this week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2017/01/top-ten-tuesday-ten-underratedhidden.html

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  6. I loved Ink and Bone! Still need to read the rest of the Great Library trilogy though :)
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/top-ten-tuesday-92/

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    1. It's so good! I hope you enjoy the rest of these series too - I can't wait til book 3 comes out :D

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  7. YES I absolutely loved Ink & Bone!! (Plus the cover is downright gorgeous.😍) And I just finished Radio Silence as my last read of 2016 and it was soooo good. Completely underrated for sure. And I loved how downright geeky it was, because that's the best kind of book.😂

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    1. Ink and Bone is soo good I'm actually obsessed! And Radio Silence was literally me in book form I loved it to pieces. I especially like the topic of podcasts and the references to Welcome to Night Vale because I'm a total nerd <3

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  8. Radio Silence looks so pretty and I've seen that Thomas book on netgalley, sounds interesting!

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    1. They're both really great reads - I'd highly recommend them :D

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  9. One book that I love is called skulduggery pleasant by derek landy, I came across it years ago and it's still one of my favourite books to this day, I've read some of the others in the series too but I still need to finish it. I've literally never heard anyone talk about it before but i love it!

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    1. I've heard of the Skulduggery Pleasant books - they were all over my school library but I never had a chance to read them. I read Derek Landy's book Demon Road which was okay but I might give Skulduggery a try. Thanks!

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